113 – Essential Wellness + CRA + Mg

Background:

Essential Wellness + CRA + Mg includes an inflammation assessment with C-Reactive Protein (CRP) or Haptoglobin (HPT) and three of the most important essential vitamins: Vitamin D (25OHD), Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) and Magnesium (Mg). Apparently healthy animals should not have systemic inflammation.  When present, source of inflammation should be identified and resolved if possible before it becomes chronic.  Chronic inflammation leads to the development of serious diseases including cancer.  Detect occult disease in the otherwise healthy looking pet using the single most effective test for overall health: CRP (dog) or HPT (cat). Additionally, screening for early signs of cancer is done using TK1 providing the Cancer Risk Assessment (CRA).  CRA is a way to see the risk of a major cancer event in the coming 4-6 months.  Early detection leads to early intervention, more options, and better outcomes.

Vitamin D is the most important hormone in the body and sufficient levels are anti-proliferative, pro-differentiating, and anti-inflammatory: all involved in cancer pathogenesis.  VDI provides patient-specific dosing guidelines to get patients to sufficiency. Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin that plays a role in DNA synthesis.  As an essential vitamin it’s only obtained through the pet’s diet.  Low B12 values can indicate diet deficiency or the presence of disease that inhibits absorption. VDI provides patient-specific dosing guidelines to get patients to normal. Magnesium is a critical cofactor in hundreds of processes ensuring they run effectively and efficiently.  Learn more about VitD, B12, and Mg here.  

Clinical Applications:

1. General Wellness (annual or biannual screening)
2. Apparently Healthy pets
3. Pets at high risk of inflammatory diseases
4. Pets at risk of cancer
5. Pet Parents wanting to be proactive in detecting & managing disease

Recommendations:

Health screening using a sensitive inflammatory marker, CRP/HPT, should begin once the dog reaches an adult stage.  Annual testing while apparently healthy is the minimum recommended interval with bi-annual screening being the most effective way to detect the presence of occult disease.

Pets at risk of cancer benefit from bi-annual testing of CRA.  For best results, CRA should be performed every 4 months.

Evaluating essential vitamin levels should start once the dog or cat reaches adult stages and establishes their adult diet.  Once diet has been stable for 3 months, test baseline vitamins and correct any insufficiencies with supplementation, or consider a diet change if values are considerably low.  VDI provides patient-specific dosing guidelines for Vitamin D, B12 and Magnesium.  Recheck intervals are every year once sufficient unless diet or health changes occur.